That only causes part of the effect, most of it is the bike’s steering countering the momentum of your fall.
You wouldn’t be able to balance on a bike with just the wheel spinning, you’re too heavy. That is why bikes on those indoor rollers allow the bike to move left and right a bit.
Just like orbiting something. Satellites are constantly just falling back to earth, but with enough grace to always miss earth. I bet satellites would be great cyclists!
There is an art, it says, or rather, a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. … Clearly, it is this second part, the missing, which presents the difficulties.
That’s always fun. Some people will swear it can’t possibly work like that, but they have plenty of experience riding bikes. You wouldn’t be able to turn properly at speed unless you’re counter-steering, so they clearly have done this. The idea seems to be so incredibly intuitive that people don’t even realize they’re doing it, which is very interesting.
The gyroscopic effect of slowly spinning, light bicycle wheels is negligible compared to the weight of the bike and it’s rider. If it was what keeps you upright, riding a tiny scooter-thing with skateboard/inliner wheels would be impossible. I mean those without motor, pedals, where you push yourself forward with one foot on the ground), often for kids.
What actually keeps you upright isn’t a physical effect, but just training your brain to instinctually keep you upright. While you’re moving, turning the handlebar effectively moves the bike below you left and right. So if you start tilting to the right, you turn right (slightly) so the bike/scooter is moving below you to compensate. That’s why learning to ride anything that is balancing on 2 wheels takes a relatively long time, but only once. Then your brain knows what to do, and it just works without thinking about it.
The design of the front forks also assists with stability - having some rake and trail means the front wheel has a tendency to self centre (particularly at speed).
Gyroscope effect. You ever do the experiment where you spin a bike tire really fast and then try to tilt it? Shit’s nuts.
That only causes part of the effect, most of it is the bike’s steering countering the momentum of your fall.
You wouldn’t be able to balance on a bike with just the wheel spinning, you’re too heavy. That is why bikes on those indoor rollers allow the bike to move left and right a bit.
So biking is just falling with style?
Just like orbiting something. Satellites are constantly just falling back to earth, but with enough grace to always miss earth. I bet satellites would be great cyclists!
There is an art, it says, or rather, a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. … Clearly, it is this second part, the missing, which presents the difficulties.
Turning a motorcycle or bike is falling with purpose! The faster you are falling (leaning over more), the faster you turn!
Just wait till OP learns that you need to counter-steer bikes to balance
That’s always fun. Some people will swear it can’t possibly work like that, but they have plenty of experience riding bikes. You wouldn’t be able to turn properly at speed unless you’re counter-steering, so they clearly have done this. The idea seems to be so incredibly intuitive that people don’t even realize they’re doing it, which is very interesting.
Hmmm… Both things involve bicycles… Maybe they’re just magic?
My next DnD character will be a bicyclist
Mine will just be a bike
Town bike?
The gyroscopic effect of slowly spinning, light bicycle wheels is negligible compared to the weight of the bike and it’s rider. If it was what keeps you upright, riding a tiny scooter-thing with skateboard/inliner wheels would be impossible. I mean those without motor, pedals, where you push yourself forward with one foot on the ground), often for kids.
What actually keeps you upright isn’t a physical effect, but just training your brain to instinctually keep you upright. While you’re moving, turning the handlebar effectively moves the bike below you left and right. So if you start tilting to the right, you turn right (slightly) so the bike/scooter is moving below you to compensate. That’s why learning to ride anything that is balancing on 2 wheels takes a relatively long time, but only once. Then your brain knows what to do, and it just works without thinking about it.
The design of the front forks also assists with stability - having some rake and trail means the front wheel has a tendency to self centre (particularly at speed).